JP4234444B2 - Electronic component cooling apparatus and electronic component cooling method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to the field of cooling components on a printed wiring board. More particularly, the present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for improved heat transfer to a plurality of chips on a printed wiring board.

  If electronic components can be arranged on a printed wiring board having a standard size, the electronic components can be easily configured, assembled, repaired, and improved in quality. For example, personal computers often have a motherboard with a number of standardized ports and buses with slots and connectors for mounting boards and cards. As a proof of the flexibility of this approach, almost all personal computers are equipped with connectors, allowing additional computer memory, connection to input / output (I / O) devices, and additional computing power.

  The bus standards were both configured to improve commonly used Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) and Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) standards and computer graphics capabilities. Including, but not limited to Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP). Each of these standards provides computing functions and mechanical standards so that connectors and cards work together to provide the necessary electrical connections and physical stability. Of particular interest here were the card edge geometry engaging the connector, the width, length and height of the assembled board, and the card's electrical specifications and power usage details. Although it is a mechanical standard, it is not limited to these.

  In addition to meeting bus standards, it is important that card components, including but not limited to processors, memory chips, power supplies, and other electronic components, operate at a predetermined temperature range. In the case of high power devices such as power supplies and processors, it is generally necessary to keep the operating temperature below the maximum operating temperature. In the case of a board having a number of temperature sensitive components in the same circuit, it is important to maintain the temperature of the individual chips within a range where all chips operate in the same way. For example, memory chips often have a temperature dependent clock speed. Circuits with parallel memory chips work best when all chips are in a temperature range and have approximately the same clock speed.

  Technology to remove heat from electronic components has evolved with cooling requirements. Various types of fans are used to exhaust air from the back of the housing or to introduce fresh air into the housing. In either case, these fans generate internal circulation and promote heat transfer by convection from the heat generating components. Other techniques include using one or more fans or directing airflow within the housing to improve heat removal. At the component level, it is well known in the prior art to use passive heat sinks to remove heat from individual components. Axial fans or blowers are often mounted on high heat and temperature sensitive components such as processors. These air moving devices increase local heat transfer and move thermal energy from one or more parts into the housing. Techniques for improving heat sink contact with components have also developed as active heat removal systems, such as heat pipes and Peltier devices.

  As a recent trend, high-speed and high-power computer chips that generate a large amount of heat are mounted on each printed circuit board. These boards are usually closely stacked and have a compact overall design. Stacking boards prevents air from circulating near hot components, reducing the efficiency of fans and blowers mounted on chips and heat sinks. In addition, many cards with high edges, such as GPUs, include a processor with a dedicated fan and other computer chips that operate at or near the same temperature. For example, a board that conforms to the AGP standard typically includes a high-power GPU and a row of clock speed / temperature dependent memory chips installed along two orthogonal lines around the GPU. Thus, the cooling system must cool the GPU so that it is not overheated and maintain multiple memory chips at or near the same temperature. This prior art method does not adequately maintain multiple components, chips or chip sets on a single printed circuit board at or near a particular temperature. In addition, board standards require that all parts be kept within a certain height of the board so that adjacent slots can be used for other boards.

  An example of a solution to the problems of the prior art and the heat removal problem that arises during AGP design is shown with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 showing the prior art, which consumes 50 watts of power. Design specifications and component layout of AGP card (AGP Pro50 card) are shown. The AGP Pro specification is configured to accommodate AGP-like cards that consume more power than AGP standard boards and require more space on the motherboard. FIG. 1 shows an end view of a motherboard 107 having an AGP Pro connector 109, a PCI card 110 and adjacent PCI connectors 111 and 113. The AGP Pro connector 109 and the PCI connectors 111 and 113 are juxtaposed, aligned with the length L of the card 101, and separated by a distance S. An AGP Pro compatible device 100 having a card 101 with a component surface 115 and a solder surface 117 includes a protruding portion 125 that is electrically engaged with the connector 109, and a computer frame (not shown) of the AGP Pro compatible device. And a bracket 137 to be fixed to. This bracket 137 is usually located near the wall of the computer housing and has an I / O connector (not shown) attached thereto for connection to the outside of the computer. The outline 103 specifies the maximum width W and height H of the object related to the component surface 115, and the outline 105 specifies the maximum width W and height B of the object related to the solder surface 117. Of particular interest is the outline 103. The original specification for an AGP card requires an AGP compliant card to occupy only the space between the AGP board and the board closest to it (height H smaller than SB). Yes. Mainly due to increased power consumption, the original AGP standard was modified to the AGP Pro standard, which allows the card to occupy a height H that overlaps the space of adjacent PCI slots 111. The next closest position for inserting the PCI card 110 is the PCI connector 113. The PCI card occupying the PCI connector 111 cannot be used when the AGP card 100 is in the connector 109.

  2A is a plan view of the AGP card 100 as viewed from 2A-2A in FIG. 1, showing various components to be cooled and cooling methods in the prior art, and FIG. 2B is a cross section of the memory chip 121 and the heat sink 131. The figure is shown. A plurality of memory chips 121 arranged along the GPU 119 and the two rows 129 and 131 are mounted on the card 101. The GPU 119 is equipped with a fan 135 for cooling these various components. The fan 135 is typically a vertical fan, and as shown in FIG. 1, the air above the card 100 is sucked toward the GPU 100 to generate vertical convection, and then the fan 135 emits. Flows over the card 100 as shown by the arrows. Each row 129 and 131 of the memory chip 121 has a heat sink 123 having fins mounted on the upper surface of the memory chip and protruding from the card 100. As shown in FIG. 2B, the heat sink 123 has a substantially flat bottom 126 that is in thermal contact with the memory chip 121 and fins 124 that protrude away from the bottom. . The heat sink 123 is made of a metal material such as aluminum or copper having high thermal conductivity. The fins 124 increase the surface area for heat transfer by either natural or forced convection as shown by the airflow of FIG. Some portion of the airflow from the fan 135 is directed to the heat sink 123, but generally the airflow diffuses. This flow pattern has some bad consequences, for example, only a portion of the airflow can be used to cool the memory chips 121, uneven cooling between the chips or along the heat sink 123, or in the vicinity of the chips. Flow separation and recirculation may occur.

  In general, the prior art solution to increased power consumption is to increase the height H to provide better circulation, accommodate larger fans and more advanced cooling devices. Thus, the AGP compatible device 100 becomes larger and overlaps with the space that should be used by the PCI card. Unfortunately, increasing board size and footprint is not the best solution to increasing power requirements. Increasing the size of an acceptable board prevents access to adjacent slots, diminishes the computer's potential, and wastes the wiring and connectors that already exist on the motherboard, resulting in bulky results. It becomes an expensive card.

  What is needed is to provide an improved heat transfer apparatus and / or method for printed circuit boards. In particular, there is a need to cool a plurality of computer chips so that they can operate at substantially the same temperature inside the computer housing. The action of many types of computer chips is sensitive to temperature, and by cooling multiple chips to approximately the same temperature, the action of the board can be made more reliable. In particular, such capabilities enable high performance computer plug-in boards such as graphic processors. Moreover, there is a need to improve the removal of heat from the board and to cool the high power consumption board without increasing the space it occupies in the computer housing.

  The present invention provides an apparatus and method for cooling components on a printed circuit board that are closely spaced within a housing to allow improved cooling. Specifically, the cooling device of the present invention allows components on a computer board to be better, more accurately and predictably cooled, thereby making the board more powerful and operating at high speed.

  That is, one aspect of the present invention provides an apparatus and method for cooling each of a plurality of components on a computer board to maintain a specific temperature or within a specific temperature range. In one embodiment, the cooling system includes a duct that directs cooling airflow from one or more fans along each computer chip. An embodiment for providing a cooling air flow includes drawing air from a location inside the computer housing and drawing air outside the housing. Another embodiment is to cool the plug-in board adjacent to the housing opening along the edge of the board, and the cooling air is routed from the opening within the standard plug-in board height specification. Yes. The chip may have a heat sink attached thereto, and the cooling flow flows along this heat sink.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, a housing for mounting one or more fans and elongated members such as fins and wings is provided, and the airflow is along the board, more specifically along the parts to be cooled. An apparatus and method for cooling components on a computer board is provided. According to still another aspect of the present invention, airflow is guided onto a heat sink attached to a plurality of electronic components to cool these electronic components. In one embodiment, these multiple parts are arranged as two orthogonal rows of parts, and the airflow is directed perpendicular to these parts. In the second embodiment, the plurality of parts are arranged radially. The fan of the cooling device of the present invention is alternately installed on a heat sink that cools a high power consumption type component such as a GPU, while the airflow is guided to cool a plurality of memory chips within a given temperature range. .

  Yet another aspect of the present invention provides improved cooling to a standard size computer plug-in board where the high performance board is provided within a set default height specification to occupy a defined physical space. To do. In one embodiment, the cooling system of the present invention comprises a duct for directing airflow over a heat sink mounted on a row of computer components such as memory chips, the cooling system comprising a heat sink with a fan attached thereto, It includes an elongated member that directs the airflow over the computer component and a cover that redirects the airflow.

  Another aspect of the present invention is to cool the plug-in board while occupying a low height on the board. One embodiment includes an AGP compatible plug-in board that includes a GPU and a memory chip in a standard AGP height space for a high power consumption board such as a board that consumes more than 50 watts of power, for example. It is to be cooled. In one embodiment, the GPU is equipped with a heat sink that includes a fan that draws air from the board and directs the airflow toward the memory chips, with each chip within the width of a standard AGP board. Cool to a specific temperature range. The board includes one or more fans and a duct that draws fresh air from where the AGP board faces the opening in the computer housing. Cooling components on a computer board using devices and methods that have economic advantages by improving performance or improving performance in the same amount of space within a computer is also possible. Another embodiment.

  The present invention can be further understood by the detailed description of specific embodiments set forth below. For purposes of clarity, this description describes apparatus, methods, and concepts related to specific examples. However, the method of the present invention can be implemented by a wide variety of devices. Accordingly, the invention should not be limited by the description of these specific embodiments. For clarity, the present invention has been described with respect to a system that includes many different innovative components and innovative combinations of components. The present invention should not be limited to combinations that include all of the innovative components listed in any embodiment herein.

  Other objects, advantages, aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. In these figures, reference numerals are used to indicate the particular components, aspects or features shown therein, and common numerals in one or more figures are similar to those shown therein. A component, aspect or feature is shown. The reference signs used herein should not be confused with the reference signs used in the documents incorporated herein by reference.

  The present invention provides an apparatus and method for improving heat transfer from an array of electronic components. The following description of the invention will be more readily understood by reference to examples illustrating various aspects of the invention. These examples provide a framework for explaining the present invention, detailing the type and relative position of the components, the form of these components on the card or printed wiring board, and the components. It includes the shape of the element to hold, the intended purpose of these components, the card or device with them, and other characteristics. Note that these characteristics are exemplary and do not have a meaning to limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims.

  As an example, the present invention will be described with respect to an apparatus and method for cooling electronic components disposed on a printed circuit board used in a personal computer. Examples of electronic components include computer chips and other electronic components and electrical components such as power supply or power adjustment electronic components. Electronic components can be placed inside electronic devices, used as input / output interfaces to perform specific functions, or placed on cards such as printed circuit boards that can be programmed to perform various functions Has been. For example, it is common to provide plug-in locations for one or more of these cards in an electronic device on a motherboard, so these cards can be plug-in cards or add-ins ( add-in) Sometimes called a card. In commonly used computer construction technology, these cards are well suited to size, footprint and power specifications, as well as electrical and mechanical connection locations and digital electronic and electrical functions. Cost. The plurality of plug-in locations are usually provided such that the plurality of plugged-in cards form a stacked arrangement extending perpendicular to the motherboard. As previously mentioned, this stacked arrangement provides a compact computer design, but prevents cooling of the components on the board and hinders the operation of the computer.

  The cooling system of the present invention directs air from an airflow generator, generally referred to herein as a fan, to electronic components. This fan is provided on the plug-in card, or is provided at a location away from the card so that the airflow is directed to the electronic component via a duct or other airflow directing device. Fans within the scope of the present invention include, but are not limited to, axial flow or centrifugal fans and fans having blower flow characteristics. Furthermore, the fans used in the present invention are chosen to provide sufficient cooling capacity and the appropriate size and orientation to direct the airflow to the various components. Thus, the fan provided on the heat sink is usually of a centrifugal fan structure and sucks air from the board to generate a flow along the board, while the axial fan is at a position away from the board. used.

  In one embodiment, the present invention is used to remove heat from a graphics card that follows an accelerated graphics port (AGP) bus used on a personal computer (PC). 3 shows a plan view of the cooling system 310 of the present invention on the AGP compatible device 300, FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional side view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3, and FIG. The AGP compatible device 300 comprises a card 101 having a tab 319 and a bracket 323 having a lip 321 for restraining the board in a computer housing (not shown). Among the various electronic components on the card 101 are a GPU 119 and a memory chip 121. The apparatus 300 is also provided with an enhanced heat removal system 310 comprising a fan 303, heat sinks 305 and 307 for removing heat from the memory chip 121, and an airflow directing device 301. In this embodiment, fan 303 is preferably a vertical blower having an axis perpendicular to both heat sinks 305, 307 and GPU 119. The fan 303 has a circular portion 409 through which air is sucked and a circumferential portion 411 through which air is forcibly moved. Thus, the fan 303 sucks air toward the card 101 and turns it along the card. Specifically, the airflow directing device 301 includes a top 311 having a hole 309 and an outer edge 313, and a housing 401 for mounting the fan 303 and deflecting the airflow along the card 101. This system 310 requires a height Z to suitably cool the device 300. This height Z includes the physical height X of the components of the system 310 and an additional height Y for drawing cooling air into the fan 302. The direction of the cooling air on a particular component allows for more efficient use of the cooling air and allows the airflow to be directed to cool multiple components such as the memory chip 121 uniformly. In addition, the system 310 may need a height that is lower than that required by prior art systems. As a result, the system 310 can provide better cooling within a given size constraint, or can provide a given amount of cooling while taking up less space. Thus, the present invention cools a board within a given size constraint range, eg, the height of an AGP standard board, and cools a board that occupies more space, such as the height of an AGP Pro board. To help.

  Another system for cooling an AGP board, such as AGP apparatus 800, eg, apparatus 300, is shown in FIG. 8 as a top view of cooling system 810 and in FIG. 9 as a 9-9 side cross-sectional view. The system 810 includes a duct 801 having an inlet 803 and an outlet 805, and a top 311 having a hole 309 communicating with the outlet 805. The inlet 803 allows air to enter the device 810 and is positioned on the bracket 807. This is the same as the case of the bracket 323 although the duct entrance 803 is added. The inlet 803 may be open or may have a grill or replaceable filter. The outlet 805 is attached to the top 311 and cooperates with the hole 309 to cool air by sucking air outside the computer housing directly toward the fan 303. Since the external air is generally cooler than the air in the housing, the use of duct 801 can further reduce the height of this cooling system.

  By employing a duct, for example, a fan may be provided on the bracket 807 or at a position away from the device 810 outside the computer housing to guide the airflow to the duct 801, or by providing a plurality of blowers or fans. Alternative embodiments are possible. It is very advantageous to keep the fans and blowers away from the plug-in board, which makes it possible to provide a high performance heat sink at a location on the board to be occupied by the blower. Thus, the present invention is not limited to this, but by providing a fan at any location inside or outside the computer housing, the air is sucked from any location inside or outside the computer housing. Many separate airflow arrangements are possible within the range of.

  The inventor has found that the heat transfer characteristics of the cooling device are improved by selecting the blower 302 rather than using a fan as in the prior art. Although it is within the scope of the present invention to use a fan, blower or other airflow generator, the use of a blower is advantageous because of the ability of the blower to provide a more uniform and powerful airflow along the heat sink. I believe it. Another airflow generator according to the present invention also includes a fan, for example, using two or more fans or blowers installed on the GPU 119, in conjunction with the duct, in other areas of the computer housing or outside the housing. Cooling air is taken from some places.

  A configuration for enhancing the cooling of various electronic components is shown in FIG. 6 as a plan view of the housing 401 and FIG. The housing 401 has a region 403 in which one side surface is partitioned by the housing 401 and the other side surface is partitioned by the top 311 for mounting the blower 303 and a plurality of elongated members 405 such as wings and fins. ing. These fins 405 and the bottom 317 of the housing form a plurality of openings 407 that together with the top 311 form a plurality of ducts from the blower 303 to the heat sinks 305 and 307. The holes 309 align with the inlet of the blower 303 to allow the fan to draw in air (as shown in FIG. 4) and the multiple openings 407 partitioned by the top 311 restrain the airflow. This air then flows along the surface of the card 101, particularly along the top of the GPU 119 and evenly along the heat sinks 305 and 307. As in the prior art, a heat sink may be provided between the blower 303 and the GPU 119, preferably as the bottom of the airflow redirecting device 301. In this manner, the airflow directing device 301 sucks air by the fan 303 and supplies the airflow across the heat sink onto the heat sinks 305 and 307. The housing 401 or the top 311 can also be easily modified to redirect the airflow by incorporating wings, ducts, honeycomb-type fan-shaped metal sheets and other passage structure, airflow direction changing structure or mechanism. Is possible. The bottom 317 of the housing is preferably made of a material having high thermal conductivity, such as metal or graphite impregnated plastic, and cools the GPU 119 as described below.

  The operation of the present invention will be described. When cooling a computer chip or other electronic component mounted on a printed circuit board, all airflows flowing along the planar surface are disturbed by these components. Therefore, the ability to cool these parts by convection with airflow is affected by these parts themselves. At the part level, the side of the part facing the flow will experience large heat transfer due to convection, while the side facing the leeward will generally experience a stagnant flow of small heat transfer due to convection. In the case of airflow flowing along multiple parts, the airflow can be stagnant between parts or even separated from the plane containing the parts, further reducing heat transfer. The present invention provides an airflow that flows along various heat generating components and cools these components to a specific temperature or temperature range. The airflow generated by the fan 303 and the airflow directing device 301 is shown by the wavy arrows in FIGS. Air is drawn vertically toward the GPU 119 and directed by the airflow directing device 301 to other components to be cooled, in particular heat sinks 305 and 307, which then cool the memory chips 121. The top 311 retains an air current near the card 101, particularly near the memory chip 121, and flows on the heat sinks 305 and 307. As described above, since the chip protrudes from the card 101, the airflow is inhibited. According to the inventor, in some cases, the flow is separated from the card 101 or recirculated to reduce heat transfer locally, resulting in an overall transfer of heat from chip to chip. It has been found to bring about change. The top 311 retains the airflow near the tip 121 and prevents the formation of a recirculation flow. As a result, the uniformity and predictability of heat transfer is improved.

  One important object of the present invention is to provide the ability to direct airflow over the card and direct it toward the part to be cooled. For this purpose, there are many modifications to the first embodiment 401 of the housing of FIG. In general, all embodiments direct airflow in the direction of the GPU 119 and the plurality of memory chips 121 and guide the airflow along the chips by ducts to provide uniform or specially set cooling requirements. It is. Three examples are presented as housings 701A, 701B, and 701C in FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C. In the embodiment of FIG. 7, similar parts are distinguished by the suffixes A, B, C, the housing 701 is generally referred to as housings 701A, 701B, 701C, and other equivalent structures will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Will. As in the first embodiment, the housing 701 has a bottom 717 that contacts the GPU 119 and a fan receiving area 403. In other embodiments for cooling GPU 119 and heat sinks 305, 307, airflow ducts are provided by respective housings 701 and tops (as indicated by edges 313).

  The first alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 7A includes a barrier 703 that extends from a bottom 717A to a top 311A (not shown). Unlike the first embodiment 401 of the housing, the housing 701A includes a bottom 717A having an edge 705 near the memory chip 121, while the barrier 703 extends outwardly and partially surrounds the heat sinks 305 and 307. Yes. The housing 701A does not include an internal airflow duct or an airflow direction changing device such as the fin 405. In addition, the edge 313A extends completely beyond the heat sinks 305 and 307 so that they are covered by the top 311A. The second alternative embodiment of FIG. 7B includes an outer barrier 707 and a linear inner barrier 709 to provide a specially set airflow. The third alternative embodiment of FIG. 7C includes barriers 711 that are each curved in the direction of fan rotation (indicated by a semi-circular arrow in fan receiving area 403). By directing the airflow from the fan to each part, it is possible in part to match the airflow from the fan in the fan receiving area 403 to individual heat sinks to cool each part to a given temperature. Therefore, the size, spacing, height, and orientation of barriers such as barriers 405, 709, or 711 are important factors that determine component cooling efficiency.

  Another embodiment includes other ways to redirect the airflow to the fan 303. For example, the fin 405 may be a partial fin that does not cover the entire distance from the bottom 317 to the top 311, or has undulations or surface roughness to improve its ability to act as a heat sink for the GPU 119. You may do it. The airflow guidance provided by the fins 405 can be made by inserts or attachments to the housing 401 made of metal, plastic, or a material that can be easily processed to direct the airflow. Further, the direction of airflow can be changed using duct inserts made of a honeycomb-type material or formed as part of a heat sink attached to memory chip rows 129 and 131. The rows themselves may also have fins that provide a means to redirect the airflow to a uniform or specific airflow. In addition, the fin 405 and the barrier 709 are shown as projecting upward from the bottom 317 toward the top 311, but they may be formed as part of the top 311 and projecting toward the bottom 317. Alternatively, it may be a separate piece attached to the top and bottom.

  As another embodiment of the present invention, consider the radially arranged component layout shown in FIG. In this example, the card 101 has a plurality of memory chips 121 arranged radially around the GPU 119. FIG. 11 shows a top view of the radial cooling system 1110 of the present invention in the form of radially arranged memory chips 121 each mounted on a heat sink 1101. The radial system 1110 includes a circularly symmetric top 1111 having a circular hole 1109 and a circular outer edge 1113, and a centrifugal fan or blower 1103 having a center of rotation at the center of the top 1111.

  In the cross-sectional views of FIGS. 12A and 12B, two embodiments 1110 of radial systems are shown as radial systems 1110A and 1110B. Each embodiment draws air from above the top 1111 and directs the airflow radially outward as indicated by the wavy arrow. The top 1111 directs the airflow radially so that the airflow does not leave the heat sink 1101. In the first radial embodiment 1110A, the top 1111A is substantially flat as in previous embodiments. In the second radial embodiment 1110B, the top 1111B changes in height on the board 101 and decreases from the center hole 1109B to the outer edge 1113B. As the airflow diffuses radially, the position of the top 1111B with respect to the board 101 becomes lower. Thus, the shape of the top 1111 can be used to adapt the airflow to the heat sink 1110. By reducing the height of the airflow region as the airflow diffuses radially, the airflow characteristics on the heat sink 1110 can be improved.

  Another radial embodiment provides a duct from inside or outside of the computer housing to the hole 1103 to guide the airflow, and away from the board, a fan or blower is provided outside the housing to provide a hole 1109 and a heat sink 1110 The airflow is directed and modified as described above, and the plurality of chips are cooled by the respective heat sinks. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Further, the memory chips 121 may be arranged in a partial radial shape that does not form a complete circle. That is, for example, the memory chip 121 may be arranged along a semicircular arc or an arc smaller than a perfect circle. According to another airflow arrangement, the fan or blower 1103 is installed at a position deviated from the center of the arc, or air is led to a location off the center, so that the air is drawn from a position other than the center of the arc. It is flowing along.

  The foregoing preferred embodiment is an illustration of the present invention aimed at cooling a large number of heat generating components in a configuration that interferes with conventional cooling techniques by convection. The present invention is described with respect to a cooling system used in conjunction with a computer plug-in board. Such a system may be upgraded during board production or as a unit and then incorporated into the board or manufactured separately from the board and added to an existing board.

  Furthermore, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention can be used with numerous components that require cooling in other constrained environments. Computers and other electronic devices comprise components mounted in a housing or provided in or on a structure that limits convection. The present invention can also be applied to an uncovered apparatus configured such that these components are not properly cooled by a normal airflow. Furthermore, the present invention can also heat components as needed. Accordingly, the invention should not be considered as limiting except as defined in the appended claims.

  The invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments. Variations on these and other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the present invention should not be limited by the contents of the specific embodiments. The embodiments described herein are given for illustrative purposes only, and those skilled in the art will suggest various modifications and variations thereof, which are within the spirit and scope of this application and the claims. It is included.

1 is an end view of a prior art computer motherboard and AGP card. FIG. It is a top view of the motherboard and AGP card of a prior art computer. 2B is a 2B-2B cross-sectional view of the memory chip and the prior art heat sink in FIG. 2A. FIG. It is a top view of the 1st example of the cooling device of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along 4-4 in FIG. 3. FIG. 4 is an exploded view of FIG. 3. It is a top view of the fan housing of a 1st example. Figure 2 shows embodiments of an enhanced heat removal system for directing flow. Figure 2 shows embodiments of an enhanced heat removal system for directing flow. Figure 2 shows embodiments of an enhanced heat removal system for directing flow. It is a top view of 2nd Example of a cooling device. FIG. 9 is a side sectional view taken along the line 8-8 in FIG. 8. FIG. 6 is a plan view of another radial layout of the memory chip. FIG. 3 is a plan view of a cooling device for a radial layout of the memory chip. FIG. 12 is a side sectional view of the first and second embodiments of the radial cooling device of FIG. 11. FIG. 12 is a side sectional view of the first and second embodiments of the radial cooling device of FIG. 11.

Claims (11)

The board having an angular relationship with respect to the first line, the first electronic parts on the board, the first plurality of electronic parts disposed along the first line on the board, and the air flow from the fan An apparatus for cooling an electronic component including a second plurality of electronic components arranged along the second line above,
A heat sink having a surface on which the fan is mounted, the heat sink being attachable to the first electronic component and adjacent to both the first and second multiple electronic components;
One or more ducts for bringing cooling air into contact with the heat sink, the one or more ducts being formed by a top member and a plurality of fins of the heat sink, and communicating with the fan; And the air flow is substantially directed to the first plurality of electronic components and the second plurality of electronic components via the heat sink ,
The plurality of fins of the heat sink are sized and oriented to direct airflow from the fan to a plurality of peripheral heat sinks disposed on the first plurality of electronic components and the second plurality of electronic components. Adjusted,
The electronic component cooling apparatus , wherein the top member extends over at least a part of the plurality of peripheral heat sinks to direct the airflow onto the plurality of peripheral heat sinks .   The one or more ducts are a plurality of ducts, each of the plurality of ducts is an elongated duct having a first end and a second end, and the directional airflow is from the first end group to the second end group. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the heat sink has a surface having a plurality of fins protruding from a surface, and the plurality of ducts are formed by the top member, the surface, and the plurality of fins. .   4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the top member has a hole adjacent to the surface on which the fan is mounted, and the provided airflow is further directed toward the plurality of ducts through the hole. The top member extends over at least a portion of the first plurality of electronic components and at least a portion of the second plurality of electronic components such that the top member completely covers the plurality of peripheral heat sinks. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the top member is configured to direct the airflow toward at least a part of the first plurality of electronic components and at least a part of the second plurality of electronic components. The first electronic component is a graphic processor, the first plurality of electronic components is a first plurality of memory chips, and the second plurality of electronic components is a second plurality of memory chips. The device described. The board is installed in a computer housing having an air inlet port, and further comprises a conduit in communication with the air inlet port and the fan to provide air outside the housing to the heat sink. 6. The apparatus according to 6 .   The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the angular relationship is vertical. A method of cooling a first computer chip and a plurality of computer chips forming two arrays of computer chips having an angular relationship on a printed circuit board by airflow from a fan,
The air flow is supplied to a first heat sink, wherein the first heat sink is in thermal contact with the first computer chip, the first heat sink has a plurality of protruding fins, and a top member is the plurality of the heat sinks. A plurality of elongated ducts are formed to cover the fins of
Through the plurality of ducts, towards the air flow towards the substantially said plurality of computer chips through the heat sink, viewed including the steps of sufficiently cooled substantially uniform temperature of each of said plurality of auxiliary computer chips,
The plurality of fins of the heat sink are sized and oriented to direct airflow from the fan to a plurality of peripheral heat sinks disposed on the first plurality of electronic components and the second plurality of electronic components. Adjusted,
The top member extends over at least a portion of the plurality of peripheral heat sinks to direct the airflow over the plurality of peripheral heat sinks . The method of claim 9 , further comprising directing air outside the housing containing the printed circuit board from the housing to the printed circuit board. The method of claim 9 , wherein the angular relationship is vertical.

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